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Bagpipes, Cake and the Strong Spirit of the Gibson Sisters at Rangi Ruru

Tuesday 31 July 2018, 10:35AM

By RedPR

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Gibson sisters L to R Ethel, Winifred, Lucy and Ruth
Gibson sisters L to R Ethel, Winifred, Lucy and Ruth Credit: Ken Baker Photography
The Gibson Sisters_Standing L-R Jessica Miller Prue Lange and Alice Sproat Sitting L-R Hillary Royds, Jemima Bell
The Gibson Sisters_Standing L-R Jessica Miller Prue Lange and Alice Sproat Sitting L-R Hillary Royds, Jemima Bell Credit: Ken Baker Photography

CHRISTCHURCH

Yesterday, in 1889, Helen Gibson opened a school providing educational opportunities for girls and young women not often available in Christchurch at that time.n

129 years on and as one of New Zealand’s oldest and most successful schools, Rangi Ruru Girls’ School has established a proud tradition and heritage.

On Monday, that was celebrated accompanied by traditions including a shared cake and bagpipes on Founder’s Day with families, students and the Rangi staff coming together in the St Andrews at Rangi Ruru chapel on Merivale Lane.

Old Girls were invited to the service and joined staff for afternoon tea in Te Koraha, together with Rangi Ruru head of school Emma Cushing and youngest student Isabel Michael and their families. St Andrews College pipers Louis Newman and George Gray, led the way into the chapel; this is Louis’s third consecutive Founder’s Day at Rangi Ruru. 

The spirit of the Gibson sisters was even stronger this year with students donning costume and re-enacting the amazing stories of Helen and her sisters.  Four of the sisters, including Ethel and Helen who led Rangi Ruru, went on to become successful school Principal’s in New Zealand.

“Strength in Sisterhood” is this year’s school theme chosen by students, and school Principal Dr Sandra Hastie echoed that theme as she addressed the community, thanking the forward thinking and innovative Gibson Sisters for establishing Rangi Ruru Girls’ School all those years ago.

ENDS                                                                                              www.rangiruru.school.nz
 

Background:

Rangi Ruru Girls’ School was founded in 1889 by Miss Helen Gibson and was administered by her and her sisters for nearly 60 years. The Gibson sisters; Mary, Beatrice, Helen, Alice, Lucy, Ethel, Ruth and Winifred all helped in some way with the running of the school.

In 1890 their father, Captain Frederick Gibson, built a large house with two schoolrooms on the corner of Webb Street. This was given the name Rangi Ruru, or ‘wide sky shelter’. In 1903 the school had 63 pupils. By the early 1920s the Webb Street house was proving too cramped, and the decision was made to move to larger premises. In August 1923 the remaining four sisters shifted their school, day pupils and eighteen boarders to Te Koraha – the large house and grounds formerly owned by the Rhodes family.

As a housewarming present, the old girls raised funds to furnish the entrance hall of the house as a personal gift to the Gibson sisters. The reunion held for the presentation led to the formation of the Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association and the first general meeting was held in December 1923.

Since 1946 when it was purchased by the Presbyterian Church, Rangi Ruru has been governed by a Board whose members are appointed by the Presbytery of Christchurch.

Rangi Ruru, the name of the school, was suggested by an old Maori Chief of Rapaki Pa, Paora Taki. It is translated “wide sky shelter” and indicates that the school stands for hospitality and generosity.

Next year will be Rangi Ruru’s 130th birthday.

https://www.rangiruru.school.nz/about-us/our-history/

 

 

(Standing L-R) Jessica Miller, Prue Lange, and Alice Sproat   (Sitting L-R) Hillary Royds, Jemima Bell

Photography by Ken Baker.